Full council votes in Sharon Fairley to head IPRA

CHICAGO (STMW/FOX 32 News) - Chicago's city council has approved the appointment of Sharon Fairley - the woman who could head up the agency that investigates police involved shootings.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Fairley to head IPRA — replacing Scott Ando — amid the protests that began with the release of video footage of a white Chicago police officer fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014.

Fairley has already been busy since Emanuel appointed her to fix IPRA in December. She called on City Hall’s Inspector General Joseph Ferguson to investigate questions surrounding Officer Jason Van Dyke’s fatal shooting of McDonald. At the time, she said public confidence would be “enhanced” if the investigation were conducted by an agency “that has had no involvement with the matter and can bring a fresh look at the facts.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is set to address the council at the vote.